Do not relegate cyber security risks to IT, expert says
25 October 2013
Cyber security is an issue for the boardroom – and responsibility for managing risks to data, systems and competitively sensitive information should not be relegated to IT departments, a cyber crime expert has told a London audience.
Fri, 25 Oct 2013
Cyber security is an issue for the boardroom – and responsibility for managing risks to data, systems and competitively sensitive information should not be relegated to IT departments, a cyber crime expert has told a London audience.
Boards have the “economic, legal and ethical responsibility to protect data”, Dr Stephen Page said at an event Wednesday (23 October) hosted by leading law firm Mishcon de Reya.
“It is time for top management and boards to reclaim this from the technical community,” Page said.
Page was one of three panelists discussing various aspects of cyber security at the evening event. He was joined by fellow cyber security consultant Dr Jessica Barker and Robert Howe QC, Blackstone Chambers.
According to Barker, cyber security “is not a technical issue – it’s a people issue”. Most breaches are caused by human error, she said.
However, she said that often data thieves have experienced a professional setback or anticipate a professional setback, leading them to make a pre-emptive strike. Stresses at home can also contribute to the prospect of a cyber attack, she said.
Seventy per cent of data theft is committed within 30 days of a person handing in their notice, she said.
“Knowing your staff is incredibly important,” Barker said.
Cyber security is an issue for the boardroom – and responsibility for managing risks to data, systems and competitively sensitive information should not be relegated to IT departments, a cyber crime expert has told a London audience.
Boards have the “economic, legal and ethical responsibility to protect data”, Dr Stephen Page said at an event Wednesday (23 October) hosted by leading law firm Mishcon de Reya.
“It is time for top management and boards to reclaim this from the technical community,” Page said.
Page was one of three panelists discussing various aspects of cyber security at the evening event. He was joined by fellow cyber security consultant Dr Jessica Barker and Robert Howe QC, Blackstone Chambers.
According to Barker, cyber security “is not a technical issue – it’s a people issue”. Most breaches are caused by human error, she said.
However, she said that often data thieves have experienced a professional setback or anticipate a professional setback, leading them to make a pre-emptive strike. Stresses at home can also contribute to the prospect of a cyber attack, she said.
Seventy per cent of data theft is committed within 30 days of a person handing in their notice, she said.
“Knowing your staff is incredibly important,” Barker said.
- Come back to recruiter.co.uk on Monday for more on cyber security from the Mishcon de Reya event.
Related stories:
- Corporate fraud on the rise, reveals Kroll report (recruiter.co.uk, 22 October)
- Combat cyber security by recruiting ex-hackers (recruiter.co.uk, 27 September)
- ‘More care needed after website leaves 7,500 CVs on public view’ (recruiter.co.uk, 19 July)
